Convertible bulkhead for refrigerator cars



Patented Jan. 12, 1943 CONVERTIBLE BULKHEAD FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS John S. Lundvall, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Application ct0ber25, 1941, Serial No. 416,467

Claims. ('Cl.'105-377) The invention relates to refrigerator cars and particularly to refrigerator cars provided with a bulkhead which forms one of the walls of an ice bunker in the end of the car and is movable from ice bunker forming position to a stored position adjacent the end wall of the car when the ice .bunker is not required.

The conventional refrigerator car for many years has been equipped with a permanently built ice bunker in each end of the car. An ice bunker occupies approximately three feet of each end of the car, providing a lading compartment approximately thirty three feet long, in a forty foot car. As icebunker refrigeration is required for only twenty to twenty five percent of the freight transported in refrigerator cars, it will be seen that permanently built ice bunkers occupy space which might be utilized for lading, in approximately seventy ve percent of the refrigerator cars used. In order to utilize this waste of loaddamage to lading caused by rain, etc., and the prevention of pilferage and unauthorized opening of the hatch covers in transit.

Reference is made to my Patent No. 2,238,700

-, of April 15, 1941, Vwherein Vis shown and claimed improved means for preventing damage to lading caused by rain, etc., and means for preventing pilferage of the contents of cars using convertible bulkheads. The present invention is an improvement upon the structure of my beforementioned patent and has for its object the provision of improved means for preventing the unauthorized or inadvertent opening of hatch covers on cars having convertible bulkheads of the type covered by said patent.

An object of the invention is to provide locking means for the hatch covers of refrigerator cars having convertible bulkheads, said means bef ing operable from the interior of the car only.

ing space it has been-found advantageous to use ice bunkers which may be folded or stored adjacent the end wall of the car, when the ice bunker is not required. While convertible bulk-v heads are old in the art, their use has presented problems due to the fact that the lading extends to a position underneath thehatches of the car. One of the most important problems'has been to prevent pilferage of the contents of the car, the prevention of damage to lading caused by rain, dirt, cinders, etc., which may enter the car through the hatches, and the inadvertent opening of the hatch covers of cars where it is important that the hatch covers remain closed, for certain types of lading.

Some commodities transported in refrigerator cars require ventilation in transit, in which case the hatch covers are secured in partly opened positions. Practically all commodities demand protection against pilferage in transit. Some commodities are shipped in transit under refrigerating conditions which require that the hatch covers remain tightly closed from shipping point to destination. Practically all commodities require that rain, dirt, cinders, etc., be `liept from the lading. Cars having ice bunkers permanently built in the ends of refrigerator cars have been found satisfactory for ventilation, prevention of pilferage and prevention from damage caused by rain or other harmful elements, as the lading in such cars does not extend to a position underneath the hatches and the permanent ice bunker is usually designed to prevent pilferage. As stated before, the use of convertible bulkheads presents new problems. among which is the preventionl of Vscription of a preferred 4embodiment thereof,

A further object is to provide locking means for the hatch covers of refrigerator cars having lconvertible bulkheads, the elements of said locking means being secured to portions of the car other than therhatchway, in order to prevent damage to said elements, as by the dropping of ice cakes upon same.

A further object is to provide locking means for the hatch covers of refrigerator cars having convertible bulkheads, said means being swingable into operative position adjacent the hatchway when required, and swingabe away from the hatchway when not required.

A further object is to provide locking means for the hatch covers of refrigerator cars having convertible bulkheads and hatch ventilators, an element of said means being operable through apertures in the ventilator and said apertures being so baffled as to prevent the direct entry of rain, dirt, etc., into the car through said apertures.

Another object is to provide locking means for the hatch covers of refrigerator cars having convertible bulkheads wherein an element of said means is mounted upon the hatch cover and swngable from a protected position closely adjacent the cover when in inoperative position to a depending position when in operative positionr Other advantages, objects and capabilities of the invention will appear from the following detaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of one end of a refrigerator car, showing the bulkhead in stored position, the hatch cover and ventilator in closed position and the locking means in locked position.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same end of the car, taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l D indicates the roof, I2 indicates the end wall and I4 indicates the side wall of the car, all of which may be of conventional insulated construction. Openings or hatchets I6 may be provided in the car roof to provide Ventilating means for the car and as a means of charging the ice bunkers with ice. A hatch cover I8 may be hingedly secured to the car structure by means of hinges 2U. The hatch cover` I8 may be of conventional insulated construction and may be provided with a suitable resilient sealing gasket 22 secured to the hatch cover and adapted for compression between the hatch cover and the hatch coaming. A hatch cover closing, locking and Ventilating arm mechanism 24 may be provided adjacent the free edge of the hatch cover and the arm may have a series of projections adapted to engage a portion of the hatch cover adapted to engage and secure the hatch cover in various opened positions when the car requires ventilation. A ventilator 26 may be pivotally mounted upon a side wall of the car adjacent the ceiling adapted to be swung downwardly to a vertical position adjacent the side wall when the bulkhead is in extended bunker forming position and swung upwardly to a secured horizontal position across the hatch opening when the bulkhead is in stored position adjacent the end wall of the car.

The description this far has been of refrigerator car construction which does not form a. part of this invention. The essential features of this invention are found in the respective improvements hereinafter described. More particularly, the invention resides in the means for locking the hatch cover from the interior of the car and its associated parts which will hereinafter be referred to as the hatch cover locking means, or locking means.

One element of the locking means may be mounted upon the hatch cover and may comprise a generally U-shaped bracket 28 extending downwardly from the lower surface of the hatch cover (when the hatch cover is closed), a bolt or pivot member 30 extending transversely of and between the spaced apart vertical portions of the bracket 28, and a bail member 32 pivotally and swingably mounted upon the pivot member 3d adapted for swinging movement from an inoperative position adjacent the lower surface of the hatch cover to a predetermined depending position where the closed free end of the bail member will be in position for interlocking holding engagement with an element of the locking means mounted upon the hatch ventilator 25. When the bail member 32 is in inoperative position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, the free end portion thereof projects upwardly from the hatch cover and an angulai` guard member 34 may be affixed to the cover adjacent the free end portion of the bail member whereby to ward off any objects which might otherwise contact said end portion and bend or otherwise damage the bail member.

The hatch ventilator may comprise a rectangular panel of wire mesh or other foraminous material 4i] and a rectangular panel of relative imperforate sheet metal 42 mounted in parallel spaced apart relationship upon a plurality of elongated frame members 36 pivotally and swingably entrance of air into the car through said paneland the panel 42 is adapted to deflect any foreign material, entering through the foraminous panel, toward the end wall of the car. An aperture or series of apertures 44 may be provided in the panel 42, adjacent the end wall of the car adapted to permit rain or snow to pass from the ventilator into a suitable trough or deflector member 46 affixed to the upper portion of the stored bulkhead, said trough member being adapted to direct the rain or snow into the bulkhead duct 48 and away from the car lading.

An aperture 50 may be provided in the foraminous panel 40 coincident with and adapted to permit the free end of the bail member 32 to enter the ventilator, when the hatch cover and ventilator are in closed operative position. An aperture 52 may be provided in the panel 42 to permit the operator to insert his hand or fingers therethrough for the purpose of manipulating a locking bolt 54 slidably mounted Within the planes of panels 40 and 42' of the ventilator, aperture 52 being preferably provided with upstanding marginal portions 55 adapted to prevent rain from passing downwardly through said aperture 52. A box-like mounting may be provided within the planes of the spaced apart ventilator panels 40 and 42 adapted for slidably mounting the locking bolt 54 and may comprise a box-like sheet metal member having a plane top wall 58, spaced apart downwardly anged side walls B, a downwardly flanged end wall 62 and an intermediate wall 64 in parallel spaced relationship with the end wall 62. The intermediate wall 64 may be afixed adjacent its upper and side margins to the top Wall 58 and side walls 60, respectively, intermediate the ends of the side walls B0. The lower free margins of the walls 60, 62 and 64 may be welded or otherwise aixed to the panel 42. The locking bolt 54A may be mounted in a horizontal slidable position throughy aligned apertures in the walls 62 and 64 and may he provided with an angularly disposed end portion 66 adapted to engage the marginal portion 56- oi aperture 52 adapted toprevent the sliding of the locking bolt 54 in one direction, when the locking bolt has been placed in a predetermined position. A pin 68 or other suitable detent member may be provided on the locking bolt 54 to limit the sliding movement of the locking bolt in one direction.

It will be seen that the box-like mounting for the locking bolt 54 is closed at the top and on three of its side portions (the end portion facing the end of the car being open) whereby any foreign elements entering through the panel 4D will be deflected past the aperture 52 a-nd toward the end of the car.

The bail member 32 may be provided with suitable bent portions whereby a portion thereof will limit the swinging of member 32 in one direction by contacting the bracket 28A and whereby the lower closed end of the `bail member will assume a position substantially perpendicular to the axis of the locking bolt 54 when the hatch cover is closed.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator carrhaving ahatch in the roof thereof, a hatch cover; means for securing said cover in closed position comprising a hatch Ventilating closure movable into a substantially horizontal position across and underlying said hatch, a detent element mounted upon said cover, and a detent element mounted upon said closure adapted for interlocking engagement with said rst named detent element, said closure having abutting engagement with the ceiling structure of the car adapted to limit its movement toward said cover.

2. In a refrigerator car having a hatch in the roof thereof, a hatch cover; means for selectively locking said cover in closed position comprising a closure movable to a substantially horizontal position across and underlying said hatch, a detent element swingably mounted upon said cover, and a slidable detent element mounted upon said closure adapted for interlocking engagement with said first named detent element, said closure being adapted for limited movement toward said cover by abutting the ceiling structure of the car.

3. In a refrigerator car having a hatch in the roof thereof, a hatch cover; means for locking said cover in hatch closing position comprising a member movable from a vertical position adjacent a side wall of the car to a substantially horizontal position across and underlying said hatch, a detent element mounted upon said cover, a detent element mounted upon said member adapted to interlockingly engage said rst named detent element, said cover :being swingable in a plane longitudinally of the car and said member being sWingable in a plane transversely of the car.

4. In a refrigerator car having a hatch in the roof thereof, a hatch cover; means for locking said cover in hatch closing position comprising a member swingable from a vertical position within the car to a substantially fixed horizontal position across and underlying said hatch, a swingable bail mounted upon said cover, and a slidable bolt member mounted upon said first named member adapted for interlocking holding engagement With said bail.

5. In a refrigerator lcar having a hatch in the roof thereof, a hatch cover; means for locking said cover in hatch closing position comprising a ventilator having spaced apart parallel walls adapted for movement to a substantially xed horizontal position across and underlying said hatch, a detent mounted upon said cover, a detent mounted upon said ventilator within the spaced Walls thereof and adapted for interlocking holding engagement with said first named detent, an aperture in one of said walls adapted to permit manual manipulation of the detent mounted upon said ventilator.

6. In a refrigerator car having -a hatch in the roof thereof, a hatch cover; means for locking said cover in hatch closing position comprising a ventilator having spaced apart walls adapted for movement to a fixed substantially horizontal Iposition across and underlying said hatch, a detent mounted upon said cover, a detent mounted upon said ventilator within the spaced apart walls thereof adapted for interlocking engagement with said rst named detent, an aperture in one of said walls adapted' to permit said rst named detent to engage the detent on said ventilator, an aperture in the opposed wall of said ventilator adapted to permit manual manipulation of the detent on said ventilator, and a hooded member on said ventilator in overlying relationship with said last named aperture adapted to deflect airborne elements away from said last named aperture.

7. In a refrigerator car having a hatch in the roof thereof, a hatch cover; means for locking said cover in hatch closing position comprising a ventilator swingably mounted within the car and having spaced apart Walls adapted to lie in a substantially horizontal xed position across and underlying said hatch, one of said Walls being foraminous and the opposed wall being substantially imperforate, a detent mounted upon said cover, and a detent mounted upon said ventilator adapted for interlocking engagement with said rst named detent by manual manipulation from within the car only.

8. In a refrigerator car having a hatch in the roof thereof, a hatch cover; means for securing said cover in hatch closing position comprising a ventilator mounted Within the car and swingable to a substantially horizontal fixed position across and underlying said hatch, a detent on said cover, a detent on said ventilator adapted for interlocking engagement with said first named detent, said ventilator comprising a pair of spaced apart walls aflixed to a plurality of elongated frame members intermediate said Walls and pivotally mounted adjacent their end portions to the car.

9. A structure as dened in claim 5 wherein the lower Wall of the ventilator when in Ventilating position is imperforate throughout most of its area and the said aperture is in said lower Wall adjacent the detent on said ventilator adapted to permit an operator to stand below said ventilator and insert his ngers through said aperture to manipulate said last named detent.

10. A structure as defined in claim 5 wherein the detent of the ventilator comprises a slidable 

